Wulaerhan Jibieke, Abudureyimu Ayinuer, Bao Xue-Li, Zhao Jin
Department of Endodontics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, People's Republic of China.
BMC Oral Health. 2014 Nov 18;14:136. doi: 10.1186/1472-6831-14-136.
The prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) varies with geographical region and population. The Uygur people, one of 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities in China, have a population of 10,069,346. We performed a preschool-based cross-sectional study of 670 Uygur children from the southern region of Xinjiang, China, to investigate the prevalence and severity of ECC and to identify factors related to the dental health condition of this population.
The study population of children ranging in age from 3 to 5 years was invited using a three-stage stratified sampling in Kashgar, the westernmost city in China. The "dmft" index was used to assess dental caries. The diagnosis of ECC or severe ECC was based on the oral health diagnostic criteria defined by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. A questionnaire was completed by the children's caregivers. The survey included questions concerning the children's sociodemographic background; feeding and eating habits, particularly frequency of sweet beverage and food consumption; dental hygiene-related behaviors; the general oral health knowledge of caregivers; and the dental healthcare experience of caregivers and their children.
A total of 670 Uygur children underwent complete dental caries examination. Most of the children (74.2%) had ECC, with a mean dmft ± SD of 3.95 ± 3.84. The prevalence of severe ECC was 40.1% (N =269), with a mean dmft of 7.72 ± 3.14. More than 99% of caries were untreated. Statistically significant correlations were found between higher ECC prevalence and increased age and lower socioeconomic background, while greater dental health knowledge of the caregiver and positive oral hygiene behaviors were found to be protective. Our findings confirm the multi-factorial etiology of ECC.
The prevalence of ECC among preschool-aged Uygur children in Kashgar was high, particularly among those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Caries prevalence was associated with oral hygiene behaviors of children and the general oral health knowledge of caregivers. These factors could be modified through public health strategies, including effective publicity concerning general dental health and practical health advice.
幼儿龋（ECC）的患病率因地理区域和人群而异。维吾尔族是中国55个官方认可的少数民族之一，人口为10,069,346。我们对来自中国新疆南部地区的670名维吾尔族儿童进行了一项基于学龄前儿童的横断面研究，以调查ECC的患病率和严重程度，并确定与该人群口腔健康状况相关的因素。
在中国最西部的城市喀什，采用三阶段分层抽样方法邀请年龄在3至5岁的儿童作为研究对象。使用“dmft”指数评估龋齿情况。ECC或重度ECC的诊断基于美国儿科学会定义的口腔健康诊断标准。由儿童的照料者填写问卷。调查内容包括儿童的社会人口学背景、喂养和饮食习惯，特别是甜饮料和食物的消费频率、与口腔卫生相关的行为、照料者的一般口腔健康知识，以及照料者及其子女的口腔保健经历。
共有670名维吾尔族儿童接受了完整的龋齿检查。大多数儿童（74.2%）患有ECC，平均dmft±标准差为3.95±3.84。重度ECC的患病率为40.1%（N = 269），平均dmft为7.72±3.14。超过99%的龋齿未得到治疗。研究发现，ECC患病率较高与年龄增长和社会经济背景较低之间存在统计学上的显著相关性，而照料者更多的口腔健康知识和积极的口腔卫生行为则具有保护作用。我们的研究结果证实了ECC的多因素病因。
喀什学龄前维吾尔族儿童中ECC的患病率较高，尤其是社会经济背景较低的儿童。龋齿患病率与儿童的口腔卫生行为以及照料者的一般口腔健康知识有关。这些因素可以通过公共卫生策略加以改变，包括开展有关一般口腔健康的有效宣传和提供实用的健康建议。
